The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-11-24
thanksgiving DREAM. |.

The hired menwere just rising from the
tab lie, where, after the usual California
fashion, they had eaten their break
fast with the family.
Mr.. Aiken looked up. "Jim," he said
to one of them, ri think we ought to
get through that job on the fiat by
Thursday night"
eyes, SIR" was the answer, "if we
keep at it pretty steady"
"Well, there's nothing to hinder. I
don't think the weather will change.
Then there will be time to finish haul
ing the wood this week."
"All right
AS the door closed Mrs. Aiken said
to her husband, "John, Thursday will
be Thanksgiving"
"Will it?"
eyes, and I meant to ask you il
you couldn't take a holiday, and let
us all keep it as it ought to be kept?"
Mr. Aiken leaned back in his chair.
"I don't see how I can without upset.
ting all my plans, Harriet. Holidays
are very we'll for idle people who don't
know what to do with their time, but
they are nuisance to busy man."
Mrs. Aiken said nothing, and he
went on:
Besides, don't see that we have
had much to be thankfulfor this year.
1t has been one series of misfortunes-
| first your sickness, then Willie break.
ing his leg, and last of all, the barn
burning up. No, 1 think we may
leave 1t to other people to keep
Thanksgiving Day."
And so saying the farmer rose and
went out, quite satisfied that the mat
ter was settled.
His wife sighed as she began to clear
away the breakfast dishes. 'Not
much to be thankful for," she said to
herself, with strange wonder that
she and her husband should see
things in such different lights.
She had been ill in the spring, very
ill indeed, but was it not cause for
gratitude that her life had been
spared, that she had been given back
to her husband and children almost
from the verge of the grave? Willie
had broken his leg, but even in the
midst of her distress and anxiety at
the time she had been unspeakably
thankful that ne had escaped some
worse injury, and the fracture had
been so skillfullv treated that it had
left no sign of weakness. Then the
burning of the barn in broad daylight,
when there was no living creature in
side, and on a calm morning when
there was no danger of tho fire
spreading, even that, although it had
been loss in dollars and cents, had
not seemed very great calamity.
She was not much given to sighing
Life to her was bright and pleasant
thing, full of blessing and Joy. A more
cheerful and contented little woman
it would be difficult to find. But now
she sighed again, and wiped away a
few silent tears. She had set her
heart upon keeping this Thanksgiving,
and to give it up she felt to be need
less pain.
| Was her husband growing hard and
Notwithstanding to care for nothing
but mere outward prosperity? She
checked herself with a sudden sense ol
shame. "Dear john" she said, re-
membering his tender care for her when
she was ill, his sorrow for the little
baby, who had lived but few shor;
days, his devotion to the children
his open-handed generosity to ev'
cry one about him. How could she
wrong him by such thoughts as these!
If he worked early and late, and
grudged himself holiday, it was not
for the mere love of gain nor for his own
advantage. The shadow passed away
from her heart, and she began to
arrange another plan for the coming
Thursday. A Thanksgiving dinner
they should have at any rate; and in
the afternoon she would 60 with the
children for ramble over the hills, il
the day proved fine; in the evening she
would ask the men to come into the
parlor, and play and sing for them
and try to give them pleasant hour
So she said nothing more about a
holiday and Mr.. Aiken gave the mat
ter no second thought.
But sometimes even yet the angel ol
the Lord speaks to mems hearts in
dreams and visions of the night. Wher
the day was ended the farmer went to
bed, and slept the deep, quiet sleep O
man in perfect health resting from
honest work. Toward morning ht
awoke, and then for awhile he lay in
that half-waking half-sleeping state
where dreams are apt to visit the
mind.
| Was it dream? Was it a memoryi
Or was it not something composed O
both? Again the house was darkened
cautious footsteps moved lightly
through the silent rooms, voices were
never heard above whisper, for the
wife and mother lay dangerously ill
He came in from the barn just as he
had come on that sorrowful after
noon in the spring to find that the
feeble spark of life in the little new
born daughter had suddenly gone out
But now it was not the baby that
was dead; the kind neighbor who hao
been taking care OF it sat beside the
fire holding it in her arms, and tears
were running down her cheeks as she
tried to soothe its wailing cries. "Pool
little baby" she murmured, "pool
little motherless thing!"
With deadly fear clutching at his
heart he passed her and went into
his wife's room. A rigid form lay or
the bed, covered with q sheet; but
even as he sank on his knees with 8
bitter groan q soft voice seemed te
whisper in his cor, t'She is not gone
she is given back to you. This is only
what might have BEEN"
| .'Thank God!" he fervently exclaim
ed; and suddenly the vision faded.
| It faded, but gave place to another
He stood at the gate watching hi
eldest boy training his favorite colt
The pretty creature was full OF life and